(Persia Digest) – A hardliner Iranian official has said: “The Americans dream about returning to Iran. This is why they talk of war, coup d’état, terrorism, and inhumane sanctions.”

Speaking at the planning meeting for 4 November rally, Secretary of the Expediency Council in Iran and former IRGC commander-in-chief, Mohsen Rezaei, said: “Trump and his administration have concluded that they must inflict untold pains on the Iranian nation to make them revolt against themselves. They plan to lead the hungry, unemployed masses and make an entrance from their corner. They know they can’t carry out a coup or military strikes; hence they want to reduce government revenues and increase pressure on the people.”

He continued: “Many believe Trump will not win a second election. If someone like him takes office again, we may not return to the JCPOA. We want something beyond that. If the US wants Iran to return to the JCPOA, they must not only return to it themselves, they must also pay USD 50BN in compensation for the sanctions.”

Persia Digest (PD) reports that the US unilaterally pulled out of the 2015 JCPOA nuclear deal on 8 May 2018 and reinstated crippling sanctions to zero Iranian oil exports. It has also re-sanctioned the CBI to prevent all financial transactions, even for pharmaceuticals and essential goods.